Football is a lucrative business, which is why it’s surprising that Nikola Kalinic will be playing for just €1. Many footballers have made a fortune from the sport, with the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi building generations of wealth from playing the sport. Even 25-year-old Kylian Mbappe is already a millionaire in dollars from his soccer earnings.
After playing for some of the biggest clubs in Europe, former Croatian international Nikola Kalinic has returned to his boyhood club Hajduk Split, where he’ll be playing on a salary of just €1. What’s the reason behind this move, and how can this sustain him?
Nikola Kalinic returns to boyhood club on €1 salary
In a time when footballers earn a fortune from playing the sport, which has been the reason behind the game’s decline in recent years, Nikola Kalinic’s decision to return to his boyhood club and play on a €1 salary is quite surprising, considering how the club in question is not in any form of dire financial straits.
The 35-year-old will play at the club until the end of this season, having penned a short-term contract that will see him earn an absurd amount of money for any football player, not to mention one with his pedigree in the game.
Remember that Nikola Kalinic got the opportunity to play at the highest level possible thanks to Hajduk Split’s decision to sign him in the first place. This is a way of giving back to the club that gave him everything as a young player, which paved the way for him to play for some of the biggest clubs in Europe.
“This was the easiest deal in my three years at Hajduk. It’s €1 salary,” the Croatian told Fabrizio Romano.
“Nikola returns with one aim: help Hajduk win the title after 19 years,” the club director declared.
Nikola Kalinic’s journey from Hadjuk to Hadjuk
Kalinic began his career at Hadjuk Split and played for the Croatian team until 2009, when he joined Blackburn Rovers in the Premier League. The striker spent two seasons at Blackburn before joining Ukrainian giants Dnipro in 2011. He left to join Italian side Fiorentina in 2015, where he played until 2018.
As a journeyman, Nikola Kalinic moved again, this time to join AC Milan permanently in 2018 after spending a season on loan at the club. This proved to be the only season he spent as the club’s permanent player. He left Italy altogether in 2018 to join Atletico Madrid, where he played for one season before returning to Italy to play for Roma on loan up until 2020.
He was sold to Hellas Verona in 2020 and spent two seasons there before joining Hadjuk Split for a second spell. His contract expired last year, and the club has now resigned him a few months after the expiration of his contract, only that this time he’ll be playing for just €1.
What do you think of Nikola Kalinic’s gesture towards his boyhood club? Tell us in the comments section.
